Mark Chapter 2:13-28

1. Mark Chapter 2:13-28 We will cover: • An answered call • Dining with sinners • A new diet • When to pick your grain

2. Even though Mark is written to Romans, the conflicts that Jesus had with the Jewish religious authorities of the day are importantFrom 2:1 to 3:5, Mark has grouped together five of these confrontations The confrontations have to do with:2:5 Jesus having the authority to forgive sins2:16 Jesus eating with sinners2:18 The disciples not fasting2:23 Jesus & the disciples picking grain on the Sabbath3:5 Jesus healing on the Sabbath Dr. Sam has covered the forgiving of sins and Ron will cover the Sabbath healing issue.

3. 2:13 And He went out again by the seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.Based on 2:1, we are still in Galilee near the city of Capernaum Weare here

4. The ruins of CapernaumPeter’s house

5. Why did the people come out to Jesus? • Prior to this, if you look back, the people were more interested in His healing. Now, they are becoming interested in what He is saying!!!

6. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said^ to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him. Roman Taxation “The Roman taxation, which bore upon Israel with such crushing weight, was systematic, cruel, relentless, and utterly regardless. In general, the provinces of the Roman Empire, and what of Palestine belonged to them, were subject to two great taxes — poll tax, or income tax and a ground tax. All property and income that fell not under the ground tax was subject to poll tax, which amounted for Syria and Cilicia to one per cent. The poll tax was really twofold, consisting of income tax and head money, the latter, of course, the same in all cases, and levied on all persons (bond or free) up to the age of sixty-five—women being liable from the age of twelve, and men from that of fourteen. Landed property was subject to a tax of one tenth of all grain and one fifth of the wine and fruit grown, partly in product and partly commuted into money. Besides these, there was tax and duty on all imports and exports, levied on the great public highways and in the seaports. Then there was bridge money and road money, and duty on all that was bought and sold in the towns.… The Romans had a peculiar way of levying these taxes—not directly, but indirectly—which kept the treasury quite safe, whatever harm it might inflict upon the taxpayer, while at the same time it threw upon him the whole cost of the collection. Senators and magistrates were prohibited from engaging in business or trade; but the highest order, the equestrian, was largely composed of great capitalists. These Roman knights formed joint stock companies which bought at public auction the revenues of a province at a fixed price, generally for five years. The board had its chairman, or magister, and its offices at Rome. These were the real publicans, who underlet certain of the taxes” (Edersheim, Sketches of Jewish Social Life, pp. 53ff.). See Tribute.

7. “These Roman knights formed joint stock companies which bought at public auction the revenues of a province at a fixed price, generally for five years.” Once these companies had the rights, they hired or contracted collectors who guaranteed a certain amount from their assigned area. They would then collect and pay the agreed price to the company, including their surcharges for profit and then in turn mark up the taxes so they too could have a profit. It was a corrupt system and a way to get rich quick (Levi is actually Matthew the Apostle Matthew means “gift of God”)

8. 15 And it happened* that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him.  Eating with someone in the ancient world was a sign of intimacy. In the eyes of the religious leaders, a sign of acceptance. Why does Mark say they were “reclining?” They would lay on mats, on one arm and recline to eat Who is there? Jesus, Matthew, other tax gatherers, sinners and the disciples Who are these people called sinners? They are any person who refused to follow the Mosaic law as interpreted by the Pharisees. How does Mark hint of the growing popularity of Jesus? “there were many of them” Why do you think this meal took place in the first place? Because Matthew wanted others to meet the author of his salvation.

9. The typical table setting

10. Stop for a minute and consider this event. Matthew is stepping on toes on BOTH sides of the issue: One, the religious leaders obviously do not like Jesus so by having Him in his house he further antagonizes them. Second, he is bringing people who obviously live in defiance of God to a dinner with a Man claiming to be the “Son of God!” How bold this man is! What has he done to this point that shows his tremendous faith to you?… • He walked away from a lucrative business that provided a substantial income • He cannot go back, his job was probably filled immediately • He is jeopardizing his relationship with his friends • And, any possible restoration with the religious leaders. Matthew has forsaken everything to follow Jesus and he boldly wants all to understand his new position with God. He puts his new faith in action and as a witness to others and in celebration of his new faith, he throws a dinner party!!!! Been to any faith proclaiming dinner parties lately?

11. 2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” (NKJV) Confrontation number 2: Eating with sinners Notice that they didn’t address Jesus directly? This is probably because He is a Rabbi who is consistently doing things the religious leaders considered as law breaking actions – so, there is no respect here Additionally, remember, the Pharisees and probably their scribes as well didn’t mix with others and were actually outside of the house This is a perplexing scene for the religious Jews. Here is this man believed to be a religious or at least a practicing Jew eating with known sinners???? Why do you think this is such a quandary for them?.. They believed that God’s grace only applies to those who followed the law. In their eyes, the grace of God only applies to the religious! Are the legalists or the religious of today any different? I don’t think so!

12. The Pharisees and Paparazzi • The Pharisees and other religious leaders remind me of the paparazzi • The did everything possible to get the attention of Jesus but rather than taking His picture, they tried to trip Him upwith questions

13. 17 And hearing this,Jesus said^ to them, “it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Why does He say this to the Pharisees, what does He mean? Jesus came to call sinners and in this case, those who recognized their unrighteousness rather than the self-righteous “Righteous” here actually means self-righteous. These Pharisees believed that their practice of religion meant they were not sinners Expositors quoting Hunter: “It would be true that this word of Jesus strikes the keynote of the gospel. The new thing in Christianity is not the doctrine that God saves sinners. No Jew would have denied that. It is the assertion ‘that God loved and saves them as sinners’…. This is the authentic and glorious doctrine of true Christianity in any age.” This is what the Pharisees couldn’t, in their self-righteous state understand that God saves people while they are sinners

14. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Hosea 6:6 For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice,And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.Matthew 9:13 “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” God is interested in the heart and the outward actions that come from a changed and humble heart. Not the actions of religiosity

15. 18 John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came^ and said^ to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” Confrontation # 3 The disciples lack of fasting More religious legalism. There was only the Day of Atonement and 4 other times that the Jews all fasted, this wasn’t one of those days. The hyper religious acting Pharisees used to fast on Tuesday and Thursday and probably wondered why the Rabbi Jesus and his followers didn’t do the Same – valid question with probably the wrong motives. Why do you think John’s disciples were fasting?.. He was in jail!

16. 19 And Jesus said to them, “While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.20 “But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. What is fasting a sign of?… Mourning Sinfulness Repentance, etc. It is not normally a sign of JOY!!!. So what is He saying in these two verses?.. Jesus is present with His church, it is therefore a time of celebration not mourning!!

17. 21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.22 “No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” These parables (word pictures?) are used to explain what? The new dispensation that came with with the Savior – the age of GRACE The old ways, the ways of the law were about to be fulfilled and therefore to end. The new age of grace would bring a new freedom from the rituals of the law of Moses What does this mean to us? The moral laws of God have not changed and while the 10 commandments, an intricate part of that law, are still in effect and are still to guide our lives, the ceremonial laws, working on the Sabbath, washing before a meal (ceremonial washing), eating with non-believers and most importantly the laws of sacrifice have all been fulfilled at the cross.

18. Galatians 5:1-6 1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.  3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.  4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.  5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

19. 23 And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain.24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Confrontation # 4 Working on the Sabbath So if you are starving… The Pharisees may be objecting to more then one action by the disciples There were 39 Pharisaical, Sabbatical laws! Consider this: They were harvesting (reaping) Working (by rubbing the grain in their hands to free it from the husk) Their walking may have violated the distance allowed to travel on the Sabbath

20. 25 And He said^ to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry;26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” What David did was far more severe because he ate bread consecrated to God (1Samuel 21:1-6) Why wasn’t David’s action condemned by the Priests or by God? Because the NEED for the men to eat was much more important then the violation of what is a ceremonial law Just like the disciples, if they really were in violation of the law, and there is some doubt about that, their need for food is greater then the ceremonial keeping of the law. Which if you look was a Pharisaical add on anyway!!! And now the question, “what is the Sabbath for anyway”

21. 27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. This is a theological challenge to the Pharisees What do you think the purpose of the Sabbath law was? First, it is a day of rest for man and his animals. Second, it is a day of worship Jesus is clarifying that the purpose of the Sabbath is for man’s benefit It is not intended as a straight jacket to restrict and confine him

22. 28 “So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” The main point here seems to be that God created this day for a reason and it is He that determined its purpose and that purpose is worship and rest. It is the religious leaders who are misinterpreting the law, what the disciples did is no violation of Biblical law Are we under Sabbatical law today? NO What about the moral law of God represented in the 10 Commandments, you know “remember the Sabbath to keep it holy? What are we supposed to do to honor God’s command? Actually, it is very simple; we are to have one day in seven that is devoted to worship and rest

23. What do we take home? • Like Matthew, we can invite more “sinners” to come and dine with us in celebration of our salvation. After all, it is they who need a savior • Maybe we need to back off of our legalism a bit – we like the Pharisees may be misinterpreting what God really wants • Possibly we need to properly “remember the Sabbath” by truly making it a day of worship and rest • Or, just a reminder as verse 28 states: … the Son of Man is Lord Is He your Lord… really your Lord?